St Brigid of Ireland is usually represented as an abbess, usually holding a lamp or candle, often with a cow nearby, with her hand on an altar or holding a cross with a flame over her head.
Brigid was born daughter to a chieftain and a slave woman, and brought up by a druid. Her life was marked by miracles from an early age which impressed the king of Leinster, who granted her her freedom. She became a religious and founded a monastery over the fires of a pagan shrine at Killdare, and developed into a cathedral city of culture and learning. She and her friend, St Patrick, are regarded as the Pillars of the Irish people. Meet Brigid
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